Clean Air Day 2018

Given that outdoor air pollution in Britain contributes to over 40,000 deaths every year, it seems odd that so little is done to reduce pollution. Perhaps it’s because so little air pollution is invisible to the human eye, it’s a case of out of sight, out of mind.

Clean Air Day 2018 this week aimed to raise awareness of this deadly threat. You can find how to get involved at cleanairday.org.uk

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), of all pollutants, fine particulate matter has the greatest negative effect on our health, contributing to increased likelihood of asthma, lung disease, heart attacks, cancer and strokes. WHO estimates that polluted air will cause over 6 million premature deaths a year by 2050. The older generation in 2050 will have had their entire lives blighted by dirty air.

“Children’s developing organs and immune systems – and smaller bodies and airways – make them especially vulnerable to dirty air,” says Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organisation.

The challenge of protecting our clean air can seem insurmountable, but only because there is so little joined-up action being taken by government. Despite the prospect of fines for illegal levels of pollution in British cities, successful court action taken environmental groups and tens of thousands of premature deaths every year, we have yet to see adequate investment in cyclist, walking and other clean  transport.

A commitment to stop the sale of internal combustion engine-only vehicles by 2040 has already slipped. Air pollution will not improve until we tackle it at source, but in the meantime we appear to be attacking those things that can help clean our dirty air. For example, the rate at which local authorities are felling mature tress is nearly 60 a day the last count. In London alone, over 49,000 mature trees have been felled in the last five years. Many of these tree will be replaced, but mature canopy cover – along with it’s numerous benefits – is lost.

Trees have a transformative effect on towns and cities. They clean the air, provide cooling shade in summer, reducing the ‘heat island’ effect and provide physical and psychological benefits to health. Some species are particularly adept at absorbing particulate matter from pollen, soot and diesel exhaust. A single tree can absorb 4.5kg of air pollutants every year and some species excel at at the task; the silver birch, for example, has been demonstrated to absorb as much as 50 per cent of particulate matter produced by cars.

And yet more than 150,000 trees have been removed from urban highways since 2010 at a cost of £16m. Tens of thousands have not been replaced.

An investigation by the i newspaper found the excuses given by councils for why trees were felled included nuisance fruit fall, councillor pressure, shading, to make way for off-street parking and poor aesthetic crown shape.

Mature street trees are being lost at a rate of 60 a day

Wider health benefits of trees

Japan launched a national health programme 35 years ago called ‘Shinrin-Yoku’, which involves spending more around trees – not jogging, or cycling or working out, but simply in contemplation of nature. Researchers found that in order to protect themselves from germs and insects, trees emit oils called phytoncides – a substance which is of benefit to our own immune systems. The Japanese have recognised that trees not only clean the air we breath but time spent around them spending lowers blood pressure and reduces stress hormones.

Ethical insurance

The ETA has been named Britain’s most ethical insurance company 2018.

Beating household-name insurance companies such as John Lewis and the Co-op, we earned an ethical company index score of 89 – earning us joint-first place with Naturesave.

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Twenty seven years on, we continue to offer home insurance, cycle insurance, travel insurance and breakdown cover  while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.